Doublecross
by chocolatequeen
Summary: Alias film noir, a sequel to my story A Dame Like That. Jack is in trouble, where can Sydney go for help?
1. Hello Again

Disclaimer: Alias is owned by rich people, I am not rich, therefore I do not own Alias.  
  
AN: This is a sequel to my story "A Dame Like That" which can be found here by clicking on my name.  
  
Chapter 1-Hello Again  
  
The streetlights had just come on when I heard the office door open behind me. I poured my evening scotch, shaking my head and grimacing as I thought about the characters who usually showed up at that time of day. "Don't the closed blinds mean anything to you?" I asked gruffly. "We're done for the day, come back tomorrow."  
  
My back stiffened when I heard her response. "Hello Vaughn," she said softly. "Do you remember me?" Three years, and I still knew that voice. It was her, the only dame who could turn my life upside down with just one glance.  
  
Slowly, I turned to face her, my fingers clenching the scotch glass so tightly I'm surprised it didn't shatter in my hands. "Well hello again Sweet Thing," I replied smoothly, covering up my surprise. "What are you doing back in this part of town?"  
  
She sauntered into the office, running her fingers along the spines of the books on my shelves before answering. "Oh you know Vaughn, I thought it would be a good night for a walk. In the rain. In the seedy part of town." Her tone got more sarcastic with each biting word. "Why do you think I'm here, Hot Shot? I need help, and you're the only one who can give it."  
  
"No need to get nasty Dollface. Why don't you take a seat and tell me what's on your mind?" I suggested, gesturing to the empty chair with my half full glass of scotch. Glancing at it, I downed it in one swift motion, then set the empty glass down and leaned against the wall. She didn't say anything, just looked at me with those eyes. After all these years, those eyes could still pierce straight through me. "So are you going to tell me what this is all about, or are you going to make me guess?" I asked, covering up my unease.  
  
She sighed and looked away, and for the first time since she'd walked in, I noticed the worry lines on her forehead. Something was up all right, something big. Her next words told me I didn't know the half of it. "My father is missing," she answered quietly. My jaw dropped a little at that-G- men do not simply go missing, there had to be more to the story. I waited patiently, and after a moment she continued. "We have lunch together every Tuesday, but he didn't show up this week. Instead I got a phone call from his boss, telling me he won't be there. Well naturally, I wanted to know why."  
  
"Naturally," I agreed, getting a glare in return. Holding my hands up in defense, I said, "Sorry, you were saying?"  
  
"I went by his place yesterday, thinking maybe something was wrong, but he wasn't there. I finally called his office, but they still wouldn't tell me a thing. So I went in this morning and caused the biggest ruckus you can imagine, demanding to see the director or my father or anyone who didn't have bureaucratic red tape stuck across their mouths." Her voice was getting more tense the farther into the story she got, but I couldn't hold back a chuckle at that comment. Ignoring me, she continued, getting more agitated as the story went on.  
  
"Finally this suit came down to talk to me. 'Right this way, Miss Bristow,' he said all polite like. He took me into a sardine can of a room and asked me to sit down at the table. Then as calmly as if he were reading the stocks, he let me know my father is missing. 'We're doing all we can, Miss Bristow,' he told me in this voice. this voice that was just oozing impatience. I could tell he resented drawing the short stick and having to come talk to me. I tried to ignore that though; I had more important things on my mind, so I asked him if they knew anything. He hesitated for a moment, probably wondering how much he should tell me, but I must have looked desperate. I [b]was[/b] desperate! Finally he said that my father was in a safe house-just as a precaution, he reassured me-but that he went missing from there two days ago."  
  
Her thin veneer of calm cracked a little when she told me that. "Two days, Vaughn. He's been gone for two days and they don't have a clue where he is!" She rested her head in her hands, barely holding back tears.  
  
Those tears ripped a hole in my heart, I had to say something to make her stop. "Calm down Sydney, I'll give you a dollar to a donut hole that they're not being square with you. There's more going on than they're telling, and we're going to find out what it is," I said resolutely, pushing away from my spot against the wall.  
  
She lifted her to look me in the eye and asked, "Then you'll help me?"  
  
I wanted to tell her that I could never refuse a dame who needed help, especially this dame, or maybe that I could no more resist an intriguing case like this one than I could a nice Havana cigar, but something stopped me. Instead, I just flashed her a grin and said, "I'd like to see you stop me." 


	2. The Plot Thickens

Disclaimer in chapter 1  
  
Chapter 2-And the Plot Thickens  
  
I sent Sydney home in a cab, telling her to come back early in the morning so we could go over the case with Weiss. Why I said early I have no clue, he was never in earlier than 9:00. Anyway, so I was sitting there going over the case, holding a cigar that had long since smoldered down to little more than embers when it happened.  
  
One minute I was in my office, minding my own business, and the next, some joker ran by and shot the window out! I ran out the door, hoping to catch him, but it was too late-tires were squealing as the getaway car peeled out. Anywhere else, I would have been able to get the license plate number or maybe the color and make of the car, but the streetlight outside my office had been burnt out for months, leaving the entire block bathed in shadows.  
  
Shaking my head, I walked back inside to survey the damage. A quick look told me everything I needed to know. There was no way they'd been shooting to kill, the bullet was lodged into the wall by the coat rack, not the wall behind my desk. This had been a scare tactic, but whoever was behind it had made a serious miscalculation. I don't scare easy, and when people try it just makes me curious. If I hadn't already promised Sydney I'd help her old man out of this jam, there would be no keeping me from it now.  
  
However, they did succeed in doing one thing. I knew now that this case was even more urgent than I had thought. Resting my hip on the edge of the desk, I picked up the phone and rang a familiar number. I let it ring fifteen times before I hung up and tried again. Finally, he picked up on the twelfth ring. "This had better be God calling to tell me today is get in free day," Weiss growled into the mouthpiece.  
  
"Yeah, and you still don't qualify," I retorted.  
  
"Vaughn!!" he spat out angrily. "What are you doing calling me at 0 dark hundred hours in the morning!"  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you could call the glazer before you come to work in the morning," I said nonchalantly as I moved from the desk to my chair.  
  
"The wha-huh? Speak English, it's too early for big words." His words were still slurred slightly with sleep, and I could picture his befuddled expression as clearly as if he was sitting in front of me.  
  
"The office window needs to be replaced." I chuckled to myself when I said it; I knew he wouldn't make the connection this early in the morning, but it was fun baiting him like this.  
  
"And you're calling me now to tell me this? Vaughn, it's still [b]dark[/b] outside!" he whined.  
  
"Well, I thought I ought to tell you, since someone just took a shot at me," I replied mildly. I leaned back in my chair, grinning as I waited for the explosion.  
  
"What?? Why didn't you say so? Are you hit?" he asked then answered his own question. "No of course not, you wouldn't be so calm if you'd been hit. So what happened?"  
  
"Well I was just sitting here thinking after our latest client went home when some bozo came running by and shot the window out. I tried to catch him."  
  
"Wait a minute, what latest client? I thought we cleared all our cases on Monday."  
  
"We did, but now we've got something new. I guess I should start at the beginning of the story, huh?"  
  
"That might help," he replied wryly. "Wait, is this a long story?"  
  
"It could be," I hedged.  
  
I heard him sigh into the phone before he spoke. "Then just come on over. I'll get dressed and make a pot of coffee and you can fill me in."  
  
Hm, might cut it down to 2 hours. Mostly they talk about the case. Weiss wants all the details. Come to think of it, there aren't many yet. I think a good chunk of the time is Weiss berating Vaughn for getting involved with Sydney again. hehe, involved. And of course Vaughn will mention something about how good she looks...  
  
Thirty minutes later I was walking up the narrow staircase to Eric's apartment. Looking down the dingy hallway, I just shook my head. Business wasn't huge, but we made enough that he could afford to get a better place than this. Every time it came up, he just dug in his heels and said, "I like it here, Vaughn. No one bothers me. If I moved, I'd have nice neighbors sticking their heads in my door all the time, trying to be social. No thanks!"  
  
Before I could even knock, Eric had the door open. "Why can't I ever see a gorgeous dame outside my door at 2:00 a.m.? Instead, all I get is your ugly mug," he groused. "Well, we might as well get started. Make yourself comfortable, I'm going to get myself a cup of coffee."  
  
I stepped into the sparsely furnished living room that illustrated once more how much of a cheapskate he was. "Hey, pour me a cup while you're in there," I asked as I took off my hat and laid my damp coat down on the arm of a chair. I took a seat on the worn sofa, playing with the frayed upholstery while Eric ducked out of sight into the kitchen.  
  
"Sure, he wakes a guy up and barges into his home at two in the morning and then he asks for a cup of coffee," Eric muttered to himself. I grimaced, realizing my timing might have been better, but hey! I didn't ask to get shot at, so I let it go. I could hear the clinking of cups hitting each other and the banging of a cupboard door before he said anything more. "So tell me about the case first," he called from the other side of the wall.  
  
I cringed, knowing he wasn't going to like this. Eric wasn't overly fond of Sydney, though I didn't understand why. Trying to put off the inevitable confrontation, I started to explain what had happened using the vaguest terms possible. "Well, I was just getting ready to knock off for the evening when the door opened behind me. My first thought was to say, "Come back tomorrow," but I turned around and it was this dame with."  
  
"Don't tell me, let me guess," he interrupted. "There was just something in her eyes that told you she needed help, and you can never refuse a damsel in distress."  
  
"Yeah, basically, so I asked her to tell me the story. Her pop is missing and she needs help finding him. Law enforcement hasn't been any help, so she came to us." I wasn't really lying, I reasoned to myself. She may not have gone to the cops, but the FBI does count as law enforcement. "Like you said, our caseload is empty now so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to take on a missing persons case." I shifted uneasily in my seat, knowing the grilling was about to begin.  
  
He leaned back in his chair and gave me a piercing glare. "Why do I get the feeling you're not being square with me? Are you holding stuff back?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"What kind of stuff?" I bluffed.  
  
"Stuff like why this guy is missing. Was he kidnapped or did he run off? If he was kidnapped, then who did it? Where was he last seen?" he rattled off.  
  
"He didn't run off, but no one is sure if he was kidnapped. He was in a bit of trouble and it's possible he left to get it sorted out, or he might have been taken. I'm going to make a few calls tomorrow to see if I can find out where he was last seen."  
  
"What do you mean a bit of trouble? And who is it you're going to call?" Shifting my gaze from his eyes to a spot on the wall behind him, I opened my mouth to answer. "Look at me when you talk to me Vaughn, it's too early to be playing games," he snapped.  
  
Reluctantly, I turned my gaze back to him. "Someone's been trying to kill him, so he was in a safe house. I'm going to call Teddy to see if I can find out where."  
  
Eric pounced on that bit of information. "Teddy? As in FBI agent Ted Grissom? Is this guy a Fed?"  
  
"Yeah, as in Ted Grissom." I tried to find a way out of telling him the whole story, but there was no getting around it. "We're looking for Jack Bristow."  
  
"Jack Bristow, why is that name familiar?" he mused. I stayed silent this time. If he couldn't figure it out, no way was I telling him. But then his eyes narrowed and he said, "Wait a minute! Wasn't Sydney's old man named Jack?"  
  
I was caught. In a last ditch attempt, I asked, "Which Sydney?"  
  
"It is! Vaughn, I can't believe you! Wasn't one case from that broad enough? No, you just had to get involved with her again, didn't you?" Suddenly, he stopped his rant and peered at me over his coffee cup. "Hold up, is that what this is about? You have a thing for this, this."  
  
"Her name is Sydney," I replied stiffly.  
  
"Crimeny Vaughn, that's it isn't it? It's always about the dames with you." Slamming his mug down on the table, he got up and started to pace the living room floor.  
  
I watched him for a moment, debating the value of asking the question in my mind. Finally I decided he couldn't get more upset with me than he already was, so I went for it. "What's your beef with her anyway?"  
  
He stopped and stared at me. "Are you kidding?" he asked incredulously. "You know I don't like it when things get complicated!"  
  
I frowned at him, completely puzzled. "What does that have to do with Sydney?"  
  
He shoved his hands into his already messy hair in the air in sheer exasperation. "Vaughn, a dame like that can't be anything but complicated. The last case of hers we were involved in. well, it ended okay, but we ended up getting into confrontations with two different Mafiosi in the same night. If Jack Bristow is missing, you can be sure it's more of the same." Suddenly he shut his trap and just looked at me for a minute. "I'm talking to a brick wall here aren't I?" he finally asked.  
  
I could hear the resignation in his tone and knew that he wouldn't argue anymore. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story?" I offered.  
  
Eric sank back into his chair and picked up his coffee cup again. "Looks like I should have made this stuff stronger," he muttered to himself.  
  
Taking that for a yes, I picked up where I had left off. "Jack was supposed to have lunch with Sydney the other day, but he never showed. She checked his house, but he wasn't there so she finally called the office. They stonewalled her of course, but to make a long story short, she finally found out that after a few attempts on his life they'd put him in a safe house, and that he wasn't there any longer. Of course, after that snafu, she doesn't trust the Feds as far she can throw them, so she came to us for help."  
  
"And after one look at her pleading brown eyes you couldn't say no," he inserted sarcastically.  
  
I stiffened slightly at the insinuation. "No, after listening to her story I realized that something was going on and someone needed to do something about it. Isn't that why we became PI's anyway Eric, so we could help people who needed it?" This time it was my turn to shoot him a pointed look.  
  
He finished his coffee and stared into the empty mug before answering. "Yeah, you're right. It's just early and I'm all out of sorts, you know?"  
  
I had to smile at that. "I know, and I'm sorry. But after that guy shot out the window."  
  
"Holy smokes Vaughn, I completely forgot about that. So what's the story there?"  
  
"Not much really," I said with a shrug. "I stayed in the office going over possibilities after I sent Sydney home, and after a few hours, the perp ran by, took a shot at the window, got in a car, and drove off. I tried to catch some details, but you know how dark it is in front of the office."  
  
Eric snorted in disgust. "Maybe now the city will replace the light bulb."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," I replied with a sardonic smile.  
  
"Probably not. But you're certain he wasn't trying to hit you?"  
  
"Not unless he mistook me for a coat rack. Of course, I get that a lot," I joked.  
  
"Oh yeah, you do bear a certain resemblance to pieces of furniture. So that means he was just trying to scare you off, which means."  
  
"Someone doesn't want Jack Bristow found," I finished.  
  
We sat in silence, mulling over that for a moment. I was fingering the brim of my hat when I heard him ask, "So what's the game plan?"  
  
I glanced back up at him and shrugged. "Right now, there isn't one. We're meeting Sydney at the office at 8:00 and I'll call Teddy from there."  
  
"Eight a.m?? That's only five hours from now! Sheesh Vaughn, you're trying to run my into the ground, aren't you?" Staring off into space, he slowly shook his head, then tiredly rubbed his hands across his face. "Well, we're not going to solve anything right now. Why don't we get some shut eye and start fresh in the morning?"  
  
I hadn't felt worn out, but as soon as he mentioned the time, the fatigue struck. Wearily, I rose from my seat and walked toward the door. Before I left, I turned and flashed him a tired smile. "Thanks Eric. I know this isn't how you wanted to spend your Friday."  
  
He waved off my thanks with a grin and said, "You can pay me back with a nice bottle of that scotch you're too cheap to buy."  
  
"It's a deal," I told him and shut the door behind me.  
  
The next morning, Syd is waiting for them at the office (since there's no way they could get up "early" with that little sleep.) They go over the plan they've come up with and she agrees, starting at the safe house is a good idea. (problem here, how does she know where the safe house is?)  
  
QUOTE The next morning: Is Syd ticked she had to wait? Does Weiss keep his mouth shut about Vaughn's feelings? Did the FBI agent leak where the safe house was to Syd on accident? Maybe Vaughn's contact did?  
  
Absolutely. Hm... there it is again, the thought of Weiss keeping his mouth shut. In his favor, he only makes constant allusions, but they are constant. The FBI agent... hehe, there's a plot twist I haven't told you about yet. Vaughn's contract!! I could kiss your feet right now!! I totally forgot about Teddy!  
  
The sun streaming through my bedroom window woke me up the next morning. Mumbling in protest, I flung my arm over my face to block the light out. I had lain there for a minute, slowly coming to consciousness, when the facts started to filter through my weary brain much like the sunlight that was filtering through my blinds.  
  
"Morning-sun-What time is it?" I exclaimed as I sat bolt upright in bed. A quick glance at the clock confirmed my fears: 8:30, I was already thirty minutes late. "Sydney is never going to forgive me," I groaned as I launched myself out of the bed, grabbing clean clothes on my way to the bathroom.  
  
Five minutes later I was out the door, cursing my alarm clock as I ran down the steps. I had set it the night before, at least I was fairly certain I had. Why did it have to pick this morning of all mornings to die on me?  
  
Luckily, the office is only 10 blocks from my place. I set off at a quick jog, weaving in and out of the people on their way to work. I was almost there when I was accosted by a paperboy. "Ready for your morning paper Mister Vaughn?" he asked.  
  
"Not today Eddie," I replied, trying to move past him.  
  
He deftly stepped into my path, shoving his wares under my nose. "But Mister Vaughn, you always read the paper with your morning coffee. Are you sure you don't want it?"  
  
I nearly shoved the newsie off the sidewalk in my frustration. "Not today I said! I'm late for an important meeting, I'm sorry Eddie!!" Finally getting free from his attentions, I ran the remaining 20 yards to the office.  
  
The first thing I noticed were the boards covering the office window. Apparently [i]someone[/i] hadn't gotten up in time to call the glazer, but then neither had I, so I shrugged it off and stepped inside.  
  
Unfortunately, my earlier instincts had been right. The instant I walked through the door; the Bristow death glare pinned me to the wall. "Where have you been, Vaughn?" she asked coldly.  
  
"Eric and I were up late hammering out a plan. I guess I slept in a little," I answered, wincing at the reply that sounded weak even to my ears.  
  
"If that's true, then how come he got here a full twenty minutes before you?" she demanded.  
  
My incredulous look swung to partner, who was studiously avoiding my gaze. "How did you. Never mind, it doesn't matter," I quickly realized. "Eric, make some coffee while I call Teddy so we can get this show on the road," I ordered, moving to the desk as the door shut behind me.  
  
Ignoring the baleful look he shot me as he and Sydney stepped into his office, I grabbed the phone off the desk and dialed Teddy's extension. "Ted Grissom here," a baritone voice replied.  
  
"Hey Teddy, it's Vaughn," I said, taking a seat and swinging my feet up on the desk.  
  
"Vaughn! How've you been? I haven't heard from you in a while, not since the Bristow case."  
  
I grinned to myself-here was the segue I needed. "Actually Teddy, it's funny you should mention the Bristows. You're never going to believe who's standing in front of me."  
  
The sudden tension in the FBI office radiated down the line and into my ear. "Which one, Vaughn? Please tell me it's Jack!" he pleaded.  
  
"Sorry, no can do. Nope, Sydney is here and she seems to think her father is missing. Would you happen to know anything about that?"  
  
He snorted in amusement before answering. "Would I know anything about it? I'm the one who put him in protective custody! But wait a minute! How did she know he was missing? All we told her was that he couldn't make it to lunch last week."  
  
Suddenly his previous tension transferred to me. Gripping the handset tighter, I asked, "What do you mean? She came in two days ago to ask what the deal was, and someone told her he'd gone missing from the safe house. Come on Teddy, you knew that right?" Even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true.  
  
"No, we would never have given an unauthorized civilian information like that," he replied seriously. "Let me be straight with you Vaughn, we've suspected for a while now that we have a leak here in the Bureau. This just confirms it."  
  
I felt a chill sweep over me at those words. Suddenly, I was glad I hadn't had time to eat breakfast, the knot in the pit of my stomach was bad enough without food sitting on top of it. "What are you telling me Teddy?" I asked slowly, sitting up straight in my seat.  
  
"I'm saying we need you to find Jack Bristow, and fast. It seems like someone is willing to go pretty far to keep him from being found and with this mole around, I don't know who I can trust on the inside. I need your help."  
  
I was surprised by how freely he was giving out the information, usually talking to Teddy was like pulling teeth. Gradually a suspicion inched its way into my mind. Even though I felt it was ludicrous I still voiced it-my gut was telling me I had to. "Is there something more I should know, besides the location of the safe house that is?"  
  
He heaved a sigh before speaking, and that settled it for me. "Vaughn, you know cases like this are need to know only," he remonstrated.  
  
"And if you expect me to find Jack Bristow, I need to know!" I snapped back. "Look Teddy, someone's already taken potshots at me, shooting the window out in the office. You can't send me into something like this blind, I won't do it."  
  
I could almost hear him grimace at my vehemence, but I was past caring. I wasn't as bad as Rick Blaine in Casablanca, who claimed "I stick my neck out for nobody," but I needed to know why. I wanted answers and I wanted them now, but nothing could have prepared me for the answers I got.  
  
"Arvin Sloane escaped from prison four weeks ago." He paused for a minute when he heard my quick indrawn breath and then continued. "A week later Jack was standing in the middle of the street and a shot whizzed right by his head. We all thought it was coincidence-well, everyone but Jack, you know how he is. But that all changed two days later. He got home from work late and noticed an odd car parked two blocks away. His guard already up from the previous incident, he managed to sneak close enough to the house to see a hit man waiting for him in his living room. One quick shot to the back and that problem was taken care of. He came back here to fill us in, and we sat down and decided he should go into protective custody."  
  
"Let me get this straight. Arvin Sloane escapes from prison, a week later the man who put him there is being shot at, and you don't think it means anything? What do they pay you people for?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Okay, so what's the rest of the story?"  
  
"The rest of the story you already know. Three days after he went into the safe house, he disappeared. We only told Sydney when it became clear he wouldn't be making their lunch appointment."  
  
"And no one was supposed to tell her he'd been in protective custody, or even that he was missing?" I clarified.  
  
"No one."  
  
I sighed heavily and then said, "Thanks Teddy, I owe you one. Oh, before I hang up, where's the safe house? I'd like to start from there and see if I can't pick up a trail."  
  
"It's in the industrial district, 1500 North Smokestack Avenue."  
  
"Smokestack Avenue?" I asked, sure I'd misheard.  
  
"I told you, it's in the industrial district," he responded, a little put out. "Listen Vaughn, I need to get going. I'm counting on you to bring him back, but if anything goes wrong."  
  
"We never had this conversation, I know. Thanks Teddy, I'll do what I can." Hanging up the phone, I pinched the bridge of my nose between my right thumb and forefinger. How was I going to tell Sydney what her father had gotten into?  
  
No sooner had I asked myself that question than Eric stuck his head through the door. "What's the lowdown from Teddy?" he asked. For a moment I said nothing, just stood there wondering how I was going to handle this. "Vaughn?" Eric prodded. "What's going on?"  
  
"Yes Vaughn, what's going on?" Sydney asked snidely. From the look on her face I could tell she was still upset about being kept waiting, and I knew that what I had to tell her wasn't going to improve things much.  
  
In answer, I just grabbed my coat and hat and said, "Come on guys, we've gotta split."  
  
"Hold on a minute, Mister Vaughn!" Sydney demanded. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"  
  
I looked at her and sighed, we did not have time for this. "Fine. You can wait here while we try to find your old man, whatever floats your boat," I replied curtly.  
  
She glared at me for a moment before moving past me haughtily, her chin stuck up in the air. "Are you boys coming?" she called from the sidewalk with saccharine sweetness. "After all, I don't have a clue where I'm going. No one seems to want to fill me in, even though it is my father we're searching for."  
  
I groaned when she kicked the drama into high gear. "I just don't understand how the two of you can run a successful detective agency when you can't be on time to appointments with your clients and when you won't even keep them in the loop. I mean really, is it too much to ask for to want to know where we're going? Vaughn, I don't even know who you talked to! What's going on here??"  
  
Luckily for me, she had to stop for air or we might have been standing in the street listening to her harangue all day. "Syd, listen to me," I said hastily as soon as she stopped. "I promise, I'll answer all your questions, but you've got to let me get a word in edgewise! Besides, it's really important that we get a move on here, my gut's telling me that time is of the essence. So, if you wouldn't mind." I said, gesturing to where Eric stood, leaning against the car with his head in his hands. "Your chariot awaits!"  
  
"Why me?" Eric groaned, climbing into the driver's seat. "Isn't there some sort of law against getting stuck with moody dames?" he complained.  
  
I tried to ignore him as I climbed into the back seat on the driver's side, choosing instead to concentrate on the headache building behind my eyes. This was promising to be one hell of a day, and it was only 9:00.  
  
I was so lost in thought I didn't even notice when Sydney got in and Eric started the car up. Finally, after a couple minutes of silence Eric couldn't handle it anymore. "So you guys are awfully quiet back there," he commented. "Who died?"  
  
I could have killed him with my bare hands in that moment. Of all the things he could have chosen to say, he had to pick the least appropriate. I opened my mouth, a scathing reply ready, but Sydney beat me to it. "My father, if Vaughn doesn't get his act together," she sniped.  
  
That was it. I'd reached my boiling point, and I made sure she knew it. "Listen Doll face, if you don't like the way I run my business you're more than welcome to get out and go find your father by yourself."  
  
"I'd probably have better luck," she retorted.  
  
I shook my head at that. No dame was worth this. "Eric, pull over," I ordered.  
  
He obligingly slowed the car to a stop by the side of the road. "What are you doing?" Sydney asked in irritation.  
  
"You said you could do this on your own, I'm going to let you," I replied, matching her stare for stare.  
  
"This is like watching an old married couple fight," Eric muttered from the front seat.  
  
"Shut your trap, Eric!" we both demanded before turning back to our staring contest.  
  
"You're serious, aren't you Vaughn?" she finally asked quietly.  
  
Before answering, I nodded to Eric in the rear view mirror and he started driving again. "Yes I am Sydney. I don't need to take this from you. I don't deserve it and I can't handle the pressure to be frank. I know you're worried about your father, but as it is, it's your questions and pouting that are holding us up so why don't you just be quiet and listen for a change!"  
  
She just stared at me, shocked into silence. I nodded forcefully, pleased with her acquiescence. "Okay then, are you ready to find out what the deal is?" I asked her, a little calmer now. Her slight nod gave me the go ahead I needed, and I plunged right into the explanation.  
  
"Teddy gave me the address of the safe house, it's at 1500 North Smokestack Ave Eric. He also told me a few things you might not want to hear, things that are making my fingers itch."  
  
"Making your fingers itch?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Vaughn's fingers itch whenever he gets a bad feeling about something," Eric answered from the front seat. "His feelers are never wrong."  
  
"Really. so what's the bad news?" she queried.  
  
I took a deep breath before answering. She wasn't going to like what I had to say, I didn't even like it, but she needed to know what was going on. "Well, first off Sloane escaped from the slammer four weeks ago."  
  
After I said that, I stared at her for a moment, bracing myself for the inevitable reaction. "He what?" she said incredulously. "You mean he's the one who's been taking shots at my dad?"  
  
"He's hired it done most likely," I replied. "But that's not the worst part Sydney. No one was cleared to tell you any of this. According to Teddy, you should still be completely in the dark."  
  
"Then why did that man come talk to me?" she asked, confused.  
  
"There's a mole in the FBI. He's probably hoping to follow you straight to your father, or vice-versa."  
  
"Then what are we doing out here??" she panicked. "We can't lead them to Dad, we've got to turn around and go home!!"  
  
"Sydney! Syd, calm down! It'll be alright, just trust me. And we can't go home because the FBI needs us to find Jack for them."  
  
"Why? Why can't they do it themselves Vaughn?"  
  
Her vulnerability touched me more than her determination ever could. More than anything I wanted to turn that car around and hightail it for home, but I'd made a promise to Teddy. We were Jack Bristow's only hope.  
  
"Because Sydney," I replied softly, "if they have a mole, it would be more dangerous for them to go after Jack than us. At least if we're looking for him they'll have to work to follow us. Leaving a mole in the investigation would be signing your father's death warrant, you know that Syd."  
  
"Vaughn." she started to protest.  
  
"We're here," I said, effectively cutting her off as Eric slowed the car to a stop.  
  
Getting out of the car, I surveyed the building in front of me. The old feed shop sure looked like a fixer upper, but it blended in perfectly with the rundown feeling I sensed from the buildings surrounding it. It sure didn't seem like the kind of place you'd put a safe house, but maybe that's what made it safe, I mused.  
  
I waited patiently for Syd and Eric to join me on the sidewalk before we approached the house together. About 10 feet from the safe house, my fingers started itching. Looking around quickly, I spotted three goons taking aim at us. "Get down!" I yelled, pulling Sydney to cover while they started shooting up the place. 


	3. On the Trail

[b]From Chapter 2:[/b][i]  
  
Getting out of the car, I surveyed the building in front of me. The old feed shop sure looked like a fixer upper, but it blended in perfectly with the rundown feeling I sensed from the buildings surrounding it. It sure didn't seem like the kind of place you'd put a safe house, but maybe that's what made it safe, I mused.  
  
I waited patiently for Syd and Eric to join me on the sidewalk before we approached the house together. About 10 feet from the safe house, my fingers started itching. Looking around quickly, I spotted three goons taking aim at us. "Get down!" I yelled, pulling Sydney to cover while they started shooting up the place.[/i]  
  
[b]Chapter 3: On the Trail[/b]  
  
The bullets followed us to our hiding place on the other side of the car, so I looked around desperately for someplace we could hole up until they got bored of shooting at us. Catching Eric's eye, I saw him gesture from his spot behind a garbage can to an open door just to his left. I eyed it for a moment, lining it up with the shooters' line of vision. Once I was sure they couldn't see us if we kept low, I nodded curtly and he ducked inside.  
  
"Sydney," I whispered harshly once he was safe, "you see that doorway behind us?" She glanced back and nodded silently. "I want you to get in there. Eric's already inside and I'll be there in a minute okay?"  
  
I watched her while she quietly scooted into the building, then I turned back to make sure we hadn't been found out yet. Once I was positive they were clueless, I opened the driver's side door and grabbed the spare guns from the glove compartment and under the dash. Then I moved inside myself, only to be met by 110 pounds of angry woman. "Well Hot Shot, guess what. There's no way out of here except for the way we came in. What are we going to do now?"  
  
"Now we wait," I told her, taking a quick survey of our surroundings. We were in an old store, it looked like it might have been a company store for the boys working at the warehouses and factories in the district. The worn counter was covered in dust and cobwebs hung from the open rafters; obviously it had been abandoned a long time ago.  
  
"Wait for what? Their mothers to call them for dinner?" she asked sarcastically, drawing my attention back to the situation at hand.  
  
Eric started to answer her, but I put my finger over my lips in a silent request for them to be quiet. Yep, there it was-the tell tale click of a hammer against an empty chamber. "We wait for that," I whispered, moving the door so I could overhear their conversation.  
  
"Hey Vinnie," one of the goons asked, "you think we should go in, make sure we shut them up?"  
  
"Nah, leave 'em be Willie," Vinnie answered. "If they're not dead, we scared them good: Those gumshoes won't be giving us anymore trouble. Now let's beat it-Mister Sloane wanted us back by 5:00 to help with his special project, remember?"  
  
"Vinnie's right, Mister Sloane won't be very happy with us if we're late," the third man chimed in.  
  
"Yeah I know Eddie. Okay, let's get out of here then."  
  
I looked at Eric, shaking my head at their ignorance. He just grinned and whispered, "Sounds like the lights are on but nobody's home, eh Vaughn?"  
  
"Tell me about it," I agreed, looking around the small storefront once more. "So what's next?"  
  
"We follow them, of course. If Sloane has Jack, they'll lead us right to him. Are they leaving on foot?" he asked.  
  
"Do you hear a car starting?" Sydney replied sarcastically.  
  
I looked at her, surprised. I'd almost forgotten she was there when Eric and I were planning, and from the look of her she knew that. I winced, reminding myself that a dame like her doesn't like to be ignored. "Sorry Sydney," I apologized. "I wasn't trying to leave you out."  
  
"That's what you say Vaughn but." Her voice trailed off when I slowly crept forward to where I could peer around the car at Arvin's boys. "Vaughn! What are you doing?" Sydney hissed. I waved my hand, motioning for her to be quiet, but she was having none of that. Sparks in her eyes, she opened her mouth with a quick rejoinder, but Eric clamped his hand over her kisser before the words came out.  
  
"Quiet Bristow," he ordered. "Do you want them to know we're watching them?"  
  
Mutely shaking her head, she grabbed his hand and pulled it off her mouth, shooting him a glare in the process. I bit back a grin at that, then turned back around just in time to see our quarry turn the corner.  
  
"Let's move," I commanded softly. "Quietly, just up to the second corner, then we wait to see where they go next." We snuck out of our hiding place without a sound and walked down the street as quickly and as stealthily as possible. When we got to the next corner, we waited until our prey went around the next corner before taking chase once more.  
  
It was clear from the get-go that the boys had no clue they were being followed. We were too far back to hear what they were saying, but they were laughing and talking like they were out on a lark. "They aren't too smart, are they?" I muttered.  
  
"Of course not," Sydney replied sweetly-almost too sweetly. "They are men after all." I shot her a sour look at that but she just smiled.  
  
"Would you two love birds quit with the chit-chat?" Eric demanded. "This job is hard enough without listening to your bickering the whole time."  
  
"Well! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Sydney muttered.  
  
I groaned, knowing that had been the wrong thing to say. Sure enough, Eric whirled around to face her, fire in his eyes. "Listen up Doll Face. I got woken up in the middle of the night-when it was still dark out-because Vaughn wanted to talk about this case. Then to add insult to injury, he told me you wanted us at the office [i]early[/i]. So I get there, but it's not early enough for you. No, you have to grouse about that and everything else for the rest of the morning, so forgive me if I'm not in the finest of moods."  
  
She stared at him for a moment with her sable eyes before replying softly. "You're right Eric, I'm sorry. I haven't been very nice this morning. I'm concerned about my father, but I have no right to take it out on you."  
  
He nodded, pacified by her apology. "Look, I know you're upset, and we'll do everything we can to find your old man. Let's get back on track, what do you say?"  
  
Subdued, she bowed her head in acquiescence and we were on our way again. As luck would have it, the goons were still on the same street they'd been on when that whole scene went down. If we'd have lost them, all hell would have broken loose again. We watched while they took the next right, then slowly followed them.  
  
I felt it just before we turned the corner by the old railway station-that prickling sensation you get on the back of your neck when you're being watched. I cast a surreptitious glance behind me, but no one was there. The uneasy feeling wouldn't go away though, so I turned the corner and motioned for Eric and Sydney to follow my lead.  
  
Instead of moving down the block like we had before, we stepped inside the station and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later we heard footsteps and whispering as our tail tried to figure out how they'd lost us. We watched as they cautiously slunk around the corner, obviously looking for us.  
  
Once they had passed our hiding place, I stepped out behind them alone, holding my pistol in front of me. "Hey fellas, you looking for me?" I asked casually. 


	4. Since You Know So Much

[b]From Chapter 3:[/b][i]  
  
I felt it just before we turned the corner by the old railway station-that prickling sensation you get on the back of your neck when you're being watched. I cast a surreptitious glance behind me, but no one was there. The uneasy feeling wouldn't go away though, so I turned the corner and motioned for Eric and Sydney to follow my lead.  
  
Instead of moving down the block like we had before, we stepped inside the station and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later we heard footsteps and whispering as our tail tried to figure out how they'd lost us. We watched as they cautiously slunk around the corner, obviously looking for us.  
  
Once they had passed our hiding place, I stepped out behind them alone, holding my pistol in front of me. "Hey fellas, you looking for me?" I asked casually.[/i]  
  
[b]Chapter 4: Since You Know So Much.[/b]  
  
Before I could blink, I found two revolvers in my face. Moving slowly, I placed my own weapon back in my jacket pocket, studying the two men in the process. The one on the right was tall, with features that looked like they had been carved from stone. He was beardless, and his glasses rested on top of a straight, thin nose. His counterpart was shorter and pudgier, with a short little mustache that had so much grease in it that it looked like it had been painted on.  
  
I noticed they were returning my perusal, and after a minute the taller man nodded slightly to the shorter one and they both put their guns away. "I'm glad to see you don't feel the need to shoot me boys," I commented, striving for a laid-back tone.  
  
"We're not here to shoot you Vaughn," the shorter man said. "We're here to help."  
  
I raised an eyebrow at that and replied, "Well, I have a rule against taking help from people I don't know. It seems you gentlemen have an advantage over me there."  
  
Once again they glanced at each other, coming to a silent agreement. "I'm Billy and this here is Harry," the taller man-Billy-told me. "Teddy said you might need help, so he sent us."  
  
A chill ran up my spine when I heard that. Last I knew, Teddy wasn't going to send help because of the mole. Somehow, this did not sound good. "Is that so? Well that's funny because when I talked to Teddy he said he was having some internal problems and wouldn't be able to spare anyone."  
  
"You mean the mole," Harry stated mater-of-factly. I nodded shortly and he continued. "The mole is why he couldn't tell you we were coming. We're not really here, if you catch my drift."  
  
I thought about that for a minute. Sure it sounded plausible, but I'd been in this business long enough to know things aren't always what they seem. Finally, I looked Harry straight in the eye and asked, "How can I be sure you're not the mole?"  
  
A sigh came from Billy's direction, and when I shifted my gaze to him he was rolling his eyes in exasperation. "We don't have time for this Vaughn," he told me. "Look, why don't you just bring Miss Bristow out here and let her be the judge. After all, she's the only one who can ID the mole," he pointed out.  
  
I looked at him in disbelief. "if you think I'm going let her anywhere near you jokers before I know you're clean, you're-"  
  
"Absolutely right," a voice from behind me finished.  
  
"Syd! What are you doing out here?" I hissed, not taking my eyes off the men for a second.  
  
"I'm doing what I can to save my father Vaughn" she answered. "You can ease up, neither of these men are the man I talked to."  
  
I felt my guard relax fractionally and I glanced back at her for the first time. "You sure?" I inquired.  
  
Her gaze hardened almost imperceptibly as her eyes met mine. "Mister Vaughn, I am not a child who needs her hand held as she crosses the street. I'm a grown woman and I know what I saw. These men are clean. Now are you going to let them help us, or should we just stand here arguing?" she asked harshly.  
  
I stared at her a moment longer before nodding reluctantly. "Why don't you gentlemen step into my office?" I suggested, gesturing toward the station.  
  
They hesitated for a second before following Sydney inside. I took a minute to check the shadows, noticing that the sun had disappeared behind the gathering clouds. Once I was satisfied that we were safe, I stepped through the door and joined the others. "Eric, this is Harry and Billy. Eric is my partner," I said, making the necessary introductions.  
  
"Nice to meet you boys," Eric replied, not moving from where he stood holding up the wall. "You mind filling us in on what's really going on here?"  
  
I hid my smirk while I watched the Feds stumble for an answer. That was exactly the question I'd been wanting to ask, and it would be interesting seeing them come up with something. "We told you, we're here to help," Harry said quickly.  
  
"Sure, I can believe that. What I want to know is what's going on with Bristow. He didn't just disappear, did he?"  
  
Harry shifted nervously under Eric's stare. "I don't know what you're talking about," he stalled.  
  
"Come on, we're all on the same side here. You know if he was taken or if he left on his own, and I want you to tell me," Eric requested.  
  
Harry looked over at Billy, who just shrugged as if to say, "Might as well." Turning back to Eric, he said, "We've been staking out Sloane's hideout all week and haven't seen hide nor hair of him. There's no way he was kidnapped, he must be hunting him down on his own."  
  
"So if you know where Sloane is, why haven't you taken him down yourself?" I questioned.  
  
"We're hoping that Jack's appearance will smoke out the mole," Billy responded.  
  
"Wait a minute, you're using my father as bait?" Sydney asked incredulously.  
  
"You could say that," Harry admitted. Sydney's eyes began shooting sparks and he quickly continued. "Now wait a minute, before you get all riled up, that's just part of the game. Your father knew that when he signed up, we all did. The good of the country comes before the life of one man."  
  
I caught Sydney by the arm before she could strangle him. "Hold up Syd, you know that's how the Feds work." She glared up at me, daring me to agree with them. "However, now that we're all together and Sydney can ID the mole, there's no need for this anymore. Harry and Billy are going to take us to Sloane's now, aren't you guys?"  
  
"Vaughn, I don't think you understand," Billy protested.  
  
"Oh, I understand perfectly," I cut in, staring them both down. "I understand that your code requires you to leave a good man out to dry if it's in the interest of the greater good. What you need to understand is that I have only one goal in my line of work, and that's getting the client what they want. Miss Bristow wants to see her father again-alive-so I'm going to do whatever it takes to see that she can, and you're going to help me. Are we clear?"  
  
"Crystal," Harry muttered.  
  
"Good. Now I think it's about time to leave, don't you?" I asked, almost politely.  
  
We all turned to the door and were surprised to see that it had started to drizzle. Harry, Billy, and Eric turned up the collars of their coats and stepped outside first. I was about to join them when Syd tugged on my arm. "Vaughn, it's raining," she said quietly.  
  
I looked at her strangely and said, "What of it? I doubt Sloane takes a break for the weather."  
  
She sighed, gesturing at her apparel. "I don't have a coat," she pointed out.  
  
"Well why not?" I asked somewhat stupidly.  
  
"Because it wasn't raining this morning Vaughn," she snapped in frustration.  
  
Just then Eric stuck his head back in. "Are you guys coming, or should we wait until kissy time is over?" he asked, sarcasm oozing in his tone.  
  
I glared at him before taking my coat off and handing it to Syd. "Here, wear this. Now let's move!" I commanded, pulling my fedora over my eyes to block the rain. Without looking to see if she was following, I stepped into the rain and walked across the street to where Harry and Billy were standing.  
  
"Nice of you two to finally join us," Billy said.  
  
"Enough with the wisecracks, let's get this over with. Where are we going?" I queried.  
  
"Sloane's lair is about a mile southwest of here. If we cut straight through, we should be able to beat Jack there," Harry responded.  
  
For the next 30 minutes, we walked quickly and silently through the rain. Finally, after as many twists and turns as the mafia has snitches, Billy motioned for us to stop. "We're going to circle this building and come around on the backside of the warehouse on the other side of the block," he whispered, pulling his revolver out of his pocket. Following his lead, Eric and I both took our pistols in hand as the warehouse came in sight.  
  
We stopped again as Billy gave us our orders. "Harry and I will go in first and take care of the guards. Wait until we give the all-clear, then join us inside."  
  
"I don't think so," I disagreed, shaking my head. "Eric, you go with Billy. Harry will stay here with Sydney and I."  
  
Billy stared at me for a second before curtly nodding in agreement. Harry, Sydney, and I watched as the two men disappeared into the warehouse. Once they were gone, Harry turned to me with a curious expression on his face. "Do you trust anyone other than yourself Vaughn?" he asked.  
  
I shrugged, saying, "I trust Sydney, Eric, and Jack. Outside of that, not really. Teddy's a good man, but you Feds play by a different rule book. It's safer this way." Harry's reply was cut off when Eric reappeared, giving the all-clear. "That's it, let's move," I said, letting Sydney go in first.  
  
"What's the set-up?" Harry asked Billy once we were inside.  
  
"Five men down here, plus Sloane and one other man in the main room," Billy replied quietly.  
  
"Sounds like this is good timing then," I said. "We can take out Sloane and his man and just wait for the rest of them to show up."  
  
Just as I was saying that, we heard the distinctive screech of metal against metal as the front door opened. "Hey Mister Sloane, Bristow's almost here. You want us to stop him before he arrives?" a familiar voice asked.  
  
"That's okay Vinnie. I need you, Willie, and Eddie to go back and follow him in. Make sure he doesn't bring any reinforcements, this is just between him and me," Sloane said with an unpleasant chuckle.  
  
"Yes Mister Sloane," Vinnie replied obediently. A few minutes later the door opened again, leaving the two men alone once more.  
  
"Are you sure that's completely wise sir?" the other man asked in a cultured voice. "What if he manages to get away?"  
  
I could almost see Sloane's evil smile when he answered. "He won't Sark. He wants this as much as I do. Be assured, things are going exactly as I planned. In fact," he gestured toward the door which was opening once more, "I believe that's our illustrious friend now." 


	5. Revelations

A/N: I wanted to thank EgyptianKat for her kind comments. I think I lost a lot of readers here at ff.net b/c there was a full month in between chapters 1 and 2.  
  
From Chapter 4:  
  
Just as I was saying that, we heard the distinctive screech of metal against metal as the front door opened. "Hey Mister Sloane, Bristow's almost here. You want us to stop him before he arrives?" a familiar voice asked.  
  
"That's okay Vinnie. I need you, Willie, and Eddie to go back and follow him in. Make sure he doesn't bring any reinforcements, this is just between him and me," Sloane said with an unpleasant chuckle.  
  
"Yes Mister Sloane," Vinnie replied obediently. A few minutes later the door opened again, leaving the two men alone once more.  
  
"Are you sure that's completely wise sir?" the other man asked in a cultured voice. "What if he manages to get away?"  
  
I could almost see Sloane's evil smile when he answered. "He won't Sark. He wants this as much as I do. Be assured, things are going exactly as I planned. In fact," he gestured toward the door which was opening once more, "I believe that's our illustrious friend now."  
  
Chapter 5: Revelations  
  
From my vantage point, I could see Sark melt into the shadows as Jack came into view, walking like a man who knew his destiny and wasn't afraid to face it. "You're alone Arvin," he commented blandly. "That wasn't very smart of you."  
  
"Hello to you too Jack. I was beginning to think you weren't coming. Oh," he added, pointing at the gun Jack was holding, "you can put that away. Even if you could get a shot off, my men would kill you in an instant."  
  
"I'm ready to die today, are you?" Jack asked pointedly.  
  
In my peripheral vision I could see Sydney jerk when she heard the fatalistic tone in her father's voice. I looked at her and put my finger to my lips. She nodded reluctantly and I turned back to watch the scene unfolding in front of me.  
  
"Brave words Jack," Sloane said with a raised eyebrow. "But I'm afraid I can't let that happen." A movement behind Jack caught my eye and I looked up to see Eddie, Vinnie, and Willie silently sneaking into the building.  
  
"How do you plan on stopping me?" Jack questioned with a smirk.  
  
"Oh I don't. They're going to do it for me," Sloane replied as his goons surrounded Jack. "Now just give them the gun Jack, or were you serious when you said you were ready to die?"  
  
Jack glared at him and put his gun in Vinnie's outstretched hand. "That's what I thought," Sloane said with a smile. "Tie him up boys, I don't want him getting away." Willie tossed a rope to Eddie, then shoved Jack down into a rusted chair in the middle of the room. I winced for Jack when Eddie cinched the knots tight around his arms and legs. He must be immune to pain, he didn't utter a complaint.  
  
"You'll never get away with this Sloane," Jack warned him, struggling unsuccessfully to get loose from his bonds.  
  
Sloane just shook his head in amusement. "I'm disappointed in you Jack," he said. "I'd think you could come up with something more original to say than that, but for the sake of discussion, why won't I get away with this?"  
  
"Even if you kill me, there are ten agents on their way. You'll still die," Jack informed him. I had to admire Jack's demeanor, even tied up he was cool as a cucumber.  
  
Sloane took a step closer and waved his finger in an annoying fashion. "Tsk tsk Jack, didn't your mother teach you not to lie? You and I both know you don't have backup coming."  
  
"That may be true, but you have no way of knowing one way or the other," Jack challenged.  
  
"Oh but I do," he replied, pointing to where Sark was emerging from the shadows.  
  
The livid expression on Jack's face told me all I needed to know-this was the mole. "Davis!" he hissed as his face turned a mottled red from his rage. I was confused for a moment until I realized that Davis must have been Sark's name at the FBI.  
  
The blonde man clucked his tongue and said, "Such a useless waste of energy on emotion, I'm surprised. I thought the great Jack Bristow could control himself better."  
  
"I don't often find out that my partner is a traitor," Jack pointed out icily. "How could you betray your country like this?"  
  
I could almost see the smile on Sark's face as he looked up at the ceiling. "You'd never believe me if I told you Jack."  
  
"Why don't you try me and find out?" he asked contemptuously.  
  
"Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you," he told him, his arms spread out in front of him with his palms facing up. "I do it because it's fun."  
  
"Fun?" Jack asked, completely bemused.  
  
"I told you you wouldn't understand. Yes, fun. I like the intrigue, the adrenaline rush I get knowing that every time could be the last. That's why I joined the FBI to begin with, but the thrill soon wore off so I had to go looking in different places. About that time, one of Arvin's contacts came to me and let me know that he was looking for an agent on the inside." He shrugged, his blasé tone expressing the complete lack of emotion involved in his decision. "I admit that I hesitated for a while-no matter what you may think now, I did love this country at one point. In the end though the excitement of the chase won out over staid patriotism. You can't imagine how exhilarating it is to lead two different lives, one that completely counters everything the other is supposed to believe in. The knowledge that you could always get caught is an amazing feeling."  
  
"Yes yes," Sloane interrupted. "It's a fascinating story, now let's get down to business."  
  
"Of course Mister Sloane," Sark said with a deferential nod.  
  
As Jack watched the repartee between the two villains, I saw a gleam in his eye. He still had one ace up his sleeve, and it was time to play it. "Sloane, there is one detail you haven't thought of. If you kill me and Sark disappears, they'll know he was the mole and the hunt will be over."  
  
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You always did underestimate me Jack. Why is that?" Sloane wondered. "Ah well it doesn't matter now, I have the perfect plan."  
  
"And what would that be?" the agent inquired, every word laden with irony.  
  
"We are going to kill you with Sark's gun. When you're dead, we're going to put your gun back in your hand and fire a shot into Sark's leg," Sloane replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"You're going to shoot yourself?" Jack asked the young man.  
  
Sark shrugged. "It's a small price to pay really when you think about what I'll be getting in return," he answered calmly.  
  
"You see Jack, after he's been shot he's going to call the Bureau saying he's found the mole. When they come out and find you they won't believe it at first, but ballistics don't lie. The bullet in Sark's leg will corroborate his story perfectly. I must say you played right into my hands when you left protective custody. Sark-excuse me, Agent Davis-will tell them the attempts on you must have been staged to throw off any suspicion when you disappeared."  
  
"It's a brilliant plan," Billy muttered behind me.  
  
"Yes it is," I agreed as I turned to face him. "What do you propose we do about it?"  
  
"I think we." Sydney started.  
  
"Let's wait a moment before doing anything," Harry suggested, cutting off whatever she might have been about to say. "There might be more men coming and we don't want to catch Sloane only to get ambushed. That wouldn't do Jack any good."  
  
"You can't be serious," Sydney protested, only to be interrupted by Billy.  
  
"Harry's right, that's SOP in situations like this," he agreed.  
  
I stared at him for a minute, completely disgusted by his yellow behavior. "You're willing to hang a fellow agent out to dry like that?"  
  
"It's what the handbook says to do," he said defensively.  
  
"Now wait a minute," Sydney objected.  
  
She was cut off in mid-sentence once again when Eric voiced his opinion on that course of action. "You guys are a real piece of work, you know that?" Eric whispered angrily. "There's a man down there about to be killed and set up for something he didn't do, and all you can think of is your blasted rule book."  
  
"You can say that because you've never had to live by the book," Harry told him self-righteously. "If you had, you'd know there's a reason for the things we do."  
  
"Really? Does that make you sleep better at night?" Eric rejoined.  
  
"Can it guys," Billy ordered suddenly. Surprised, we all turned to hear what he had to say. "Does anyone see Miss Bristow around anywhere?"  
  
We all scanned the area, trying to find Sydney. When I finally did, the rock in the bottom of my stomach made me wish I hadn't. "She's right there," I said hoarsely, pointing to her as she walked up to Sloane, holding the pistol I'd loaned her.  
  
"Well well, what have we here?" Sloane asked. "It seems like the Bristows both feel like dying today. Vinnie, why don't you take that pistol from Miss Bristow, I'd hate to see someone get hurt."  
  
The boys and I reached a silent agreement. All the arguments had to be set aside, there was a civilian at stake now. We quietly formed a perimeter around Sloane and his men while they attempted to subdue Sydney.  
  
She wasn't making it easy for them, I realized in amusement as I watched. The instant Vinnie reached her right side, Sydney elbowed him in the gut. She ran to her father and kneeled down to untie the knots, but Eddie grabbed her around the waist. Willie took the gun from her and tossed her down on the floor, grabbing some rope to tie her up with.  
  
That was the moment we'd been waiting for. All four of us advanced quickly, guns drawn. Billy and Harry had their hands full with the three goons, they weren't about to go without a fight. They were unarmed though so it was clear who would come out on top.  
  
I had the supreme privilege of seeing fright flit across Sloane's face as I approached him. "That's enough Sloane," I said coolly as I took the gun he was attempting to draw. "Eric, untie Jack will ya?" I called out.  
  
"I'm on it Vaughn," he replied from his position on the floor behind Jack's chair.  
  
The instant he was free, he grabbed one of the discarded guns off the floor and approached Sloane with it. I stood back and let him take control-this was his little shindig after all. "It's the end of the line for you Arvin," he sneered.  
  
I watched with surprise as Sloane started to edge away from Jack toward the door. "Stop right there or I'll shoot you where you stand," Jack promised.  
  
Sloane looked at him with a queer half smile on his face. "Oh, you won't shoot me Jack," he said smugly.  
  
In reply, Jack clicked the safety off. "Really? Are you so sure of that?" he asked grimly.  
  
The smile on Sloane's face didn't even slip. An uneasy feeling started in my toes when my trigger finger began to itch. Sloane was up to something, and it was no good. What exactly it was became clear with his next sentence. "Jack, have you seen your daughter in the last few minutes?" he questioned nonchalantly, nodding slightly toward the door.  
  
I followed his line of vision, and my heart stopped beating for a moment when my eyes found Sydney. "Jack, Sark's got her!" I told him urgently.  
  
"That's right Jack, just think of her as a little insurance policy. Sark will hold Sydney until you let me go. As you can see, your agents are having a hard time handling Willie, Vinnie, and Eddie so they won't be any help to you. Now I'm sure that if you left right now you could catch up with them before anything happened to her, but then you wouldn't be able to shoot me. What'll it be Jack? Me or your daughter?" 


	6. On the Waterfront

[b]From Chapter 5[/b][i]  
  
The smile on Sloane's face didn't even slip. An uneasy feeling started in my toes when my trigger finger began to itch. Sloane was up to something, and it was no good. What exactly it was became clear with his next sentence. "Jack, have you seen your daughter in the last few minutes?" he questioned nonchalantly, nodding slightly toward the door.  
  
I followed his line of vision, and my heart stopped beating for a moment when my eyes found Sydney. "Jack, Sark's got her!" I told him urgently.  
  
"That's right Jack, just think of her as a little insurance policy. Sark will hold Sydney until you let me go. As you can see, your agents are having a hard time handling Willie, Vinnie, and Eddie so they won't be any help to you. Now I'm sure that if you left right now you could catch up with them before anything happened to her, but then you wouldn't be able to shoot me. What'll it be Jack? Me or your daughter?" [/i]  
  
Fury mixed with terror in the pit of my stomach. I glanced over at Jack, expecting to see similarly torn emotions written across his face, but he just continued to stare the mob boss down, not even a flicker in his gazed indicating distress. Instead he was actually shaking his head, as if he was disappointed in Sloane. "I'm surprised at you Arvin," he said chidingly. "After all those years we worked together, you should know me well enough to know that I always have a back up plan."  
  
"Oh yes, I know all about that Jack, but you won't be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat this time," he replied smugly.  
  
"Mister Vaughn?" Jack said in a tone that left no doubt as to what he wanted.  
  
"I'm on it Jack," I told him, relieved that he'd kept a cool enough head to find a solution-one Sloane had overlooked, judging from the expression on his face. "What, you forgot there were two of us here Sloane?" I goaded, enjoying the dismay painted across his face.  
  
"You can't do that!" he exclaimed in consternation, seeing all his well laid plans falling apart..  
  
"Watch me," I replied and turned to leave.  
  
I was halfway to the door when Jack spoke again, his tone conversational. "Oh and Vaughn? If anything happens to my daughter I'll be forced to hurt you."  
  
Despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "I wouldn't expect any less," I said and stepped out of the building.  
  
Afternoon had faded into evening while we'd been in the warehouse, and the sky had that dusky quality that comes between day and night. The nearby warehouses were casting long shadows and I knew I'd have to move fast if I wanted to find Sydney today.  
  
I scanned the area, but they were already out of sight. "It hasn't been five minutes yet, he couldn't have taken her far," I muttered. "The only question is which way did they go?"  
  
Looking around, I realized we weren't far from the water. A man like Sark would have an escape plan, and a boat would be perfect. "Hopefully my instincts are right," I said, crossing my fingers as I moved toward the marina.  
  
I kept my eyes open, looking for signs that they were close, but I kept coming up empty. If they had been by there, you couldn't have proven it by me, and my worry grew as the daylight ebbed away.  
  
A few minutes later, my hunches paid off. I could hear faint voices ahead, and one of them sounded like Sydney. "So tell me," she said, "what's with the accent? Did you Jekyll and Hyde your voice or something?" I smiled-it was definitely Syd, and she sounded none the worse for the wear.  
  
"I spent a few years in Britain and never really lost the accent," he replied. "Of course, I fell back onto my native American inflections when I joined the FBI; it was just one way I made the job slightly more exciting before I turned to more serious forms of deceit. Anything I could do that made people believe something about myself that wasn't true, I did."  
  
I was only a block from the waterfront now so I turned onto a parallel street. It wouldn't do to tip Sark off that I was coming. From the direction we were going, I surmised that he was heading for a pier I knew was isolated and empty-the kind of spot you would be able to hide a boat and leave from without drawing attention.  
  
Sydney was speaking again, asking another question. I shook my head at her cheekiness, but at least it was keeping Sark's attention divided. With any luck, he wouldn't notice I was following him. "I did have one other question," she told him. "Why did you bother telling me about Dad? Wouldn't things have gone much more smoothly for you if we hadn't shown up?"  
  
By now I was close enough that I could hear the smile in Sark's voice when he answered. "Remember Miss Bristow, I enjoy a challenge. Knowing you were coming just added an element of excitement to the game. When I was told to bring you into the loop I could hardly believe my good fortune."  
  
"Who told you?" Syd asked, the confusion in her voice echoing my own. "Sloane?"  
  
"No, Ted Grissom from the FBI. It was the last FBI order I followed," he reflected.  
  
I quickly clamped down on the anger that surged though me at that little tidbit. Sure, Teddy had been playing us from the start, but I didn't have time to think about that. I could deal with him later. Sydney needed me now.  
  
While they'd been talking, Sark had dragged her down the street to the pier. I took up watch from behind some large wooden crates as he shoved her towards a boat at the end of the dock. "Get in Miss Bristow," he ordered. She struggled to keep her balance as she climbed into the rocking boat, not an easy task with her hands tied behind her back. Sark made no move to help her though, he was busy holding a gun on her. The gun was the one thing that kept me from charging him, but I knew he'd have to put it down to untie the moorings. That would be my chance to get Syd.  
  
A moment later my patience paid off. Once she was in the boat, he holstered his gun and reached for the rope tying the boat to the dock. Taking my weapon in hand, I trained it on Sark and stepped out of the shadows. "Move and I'll shoot you through the heart," I said coldly, advancing toward him.  
  
He froze for a moment then slowly turned to face me. "Mister Vaughn, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to find us so quickly. Congratulations."  
  
"What you really mean is that you didn't expect to see me at all," I corrected with a scowl. "You should know better than anyone that it's almost impossible to paint Jack Bristow into a corner. He's dealing with your boss, and I'm here for Sydney."  
  
"I see," he said, dropping the rope to the dock. It landed with a loud thud that distracted me for an instant. Taking advantage of the situation, Sark jumped into the boat and pulled Sydney in front of him, drawing his weapon in the process. "Well well Mister Vaughn, it looks like we're on equal ground now," he taunted. "Now it's no nevermind to me what happens to the broad, but I'd lay odds that you don't feel the same."  
  
"Get your mitts off her Sark," I spat out, kicking myself for letting the situation spin out of my control.  
  
"See, that's the response I was hoping for," he told me. "I'd like to propose a compromise. You let us go now and I'll release Miss Bristow at my earliest possible convenience. She'll be home safe and sound before you even notice she's been gone."  
  
I risked a quick look at Sydney, silently apologizing for what I was about to do, but she shook her head slightly, letting me know she understood. "I've got a better idea," I countered, refocusing my attention on Sark. "You let Sydney go and come with me, or this is the last conversation you'll ever have."  
  
"You're in no position to be making demands," he commented with a smirk.  
  
"That's what you think," I growled, drawing the hammer back and taking another step toward him. "Let her go, or you'll be swimming with the fishes."  
  
His smile widened into a full fledged grin. "Funny you'd mention swimming," he said nonchalantly and shoved Sydney into the water. 


	7. It's All About Sass

[b]From Chapter 6:[/b][i]  
  
I risked a quick look at Sydney, silently apologizing for what I was about to do, but she shook her head slightly, letting me know she understood. "I've got a better idea," I countered, refocusing my attention on Sark. "You let Sydney go and come with me, or this is the last conversation you'll ever have."  
  
"You're in no position to be making demands," he commented with a smirk.  
  
"That's what you think," I growled, drawing the hammer back and taking another step toward him. "Let her go, or you'll be swimming with the fishes."  
  
His smile widened into a full fledged grin. "Funny you'd mention swimming," he said nonchalantly and shoved Sydney into the water.[/i]  
  
[b]Chapter 7: It's All About Sass[/b]  
  
I watched in horror as she sank out of sight. Then out of the corner of my eye, I caught an evil grin flash across Sark's face. "Say good night Mister Vaughn," he said as he raised his gun up to shoot. Without missing a beat, I fired three shots-one into his hand, knocking his gun away, and another through his heart. Tossing my hat and jacket down on the pier, I ran to where he'd fallen and checked for a pulse,  
  
Once I was sure he was dead, I dropped my gun, toed my shoes off and dove into the murky water where Sydney had gone in. Straining my eyes in the dim light, I frantically looked for any sign of her but there was nothing. When the burning in my lungs got to be too much, I returned to the surface for air then went under again.  
  
I could feel the seconds ticking by as I continued my search. How long can a person survive underwater? I hadn't the foggiest, but I knew her time was running out. I had to find her, and fast.  
  
Just as my air ran out a second time, I felt something soft sift gently between my fingers. Grasping it, I realized it was Sydney's hair. I pulled her limp body into my arms and propelled us upward, taking deep, gasping breaths as we broke the surface.  
  
It took only a moment for me to notice Sydney wasn't breathing. When I looked down at her, the blue tinge of her lips told me all I needed to know. "Damn it," I muttered as I began swimming to shore, "Sark is not going to win!!"  
  
I hoisted myself up onto the dock, then reached down and pulled her up beside me. I quickly rolled her over in my arms and started pounding on her back. "Come on Syd, get with it," I ordered. "You are not allowed to die on me." A few more hits on her back and she started to cough, spitting water onto the pier below us. "That's it Doll," I encouraged, keeping up my pounding.  
  
After a few more raspy, choking coughs she pulled away from me. I watched as she curled up her legs and wrapped her arms around them, forming a silhouette in the quickly vanishing daylight. I could tell she was upset, who wouldn't be after nearly drowning in the Pacific? But I didn't have a clue how I could make her feel better, so instead I just grabbed my jacket from where I'd dropped it earlier and draped it around her shoulders. "You looked cold," I muttered when she looked up at me quizzically.  
  
"I was, thanks," she said distractedly, staring out at the water. "I never learned to swim you know," she commented softly.  
  
I almost rolled my eyes at the obviousness of the comment before realizing there must be a story there. "Yeah, I gathered as much. You want to tell me why not?" I asked curiously.  
  
"I'm afraid of the water, I always have been," she admitted. "When Sark was holding a gun on me, I could handle it. I mean, a gun kills you fast, right? But then he pushed me in the water and I could feel it closing in on me. I was sinking, I could feel my life draining out of me, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it." Her voice trembled and she paused to regain her composure before continuing. "You saved my life Vaughn."  
  
"Of course I did. Your father would have killed me if I'd done differently." I quipped, trying to lighten the moment.  
  
"My father!" she exclaimed, swiftly rising to her feet. "Vaughn, Ted Grissom set this whole thing up so he could catch the mole!"  
  
"I know," I replied grimly as I bent over to pick up my hat and gun. "Are you ready to end this thing?" I asked and received a nod in return. "Good. Put the jacket on right and let's go."  
  
"Vaughn, are you sure you don't want the jacket back?" she offered. "Not that I mind the wet look on you," she added as she looked me up and down, a glint in her eye.  
  
I don't know if it was the comment or the look that got to me, either way there's no accounting for what I did next. Hauling her into my arms, I lowered my face to hers and kissed her, hard. She stood frozen in shock for a moment, but then I felt one hand snake around my neck, fingers twining into my hair as she pressed herself closer to me. I knew I had to pull away then and there. If Jack Bristow was willing to kill me for not keeping his daughter safe, he'd surely kill me five times over for kissing her.  
  
Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and took a step back. Sydney blinked a few times before a cat like expression crossed her face. "Well, well Mister Vaughn," she purred. "If I'd known that was all it would take, I would have gotten you wet a long time ago."  
  
I laughed and shook my head. Would this dame ever stop surprising me? "You've got a lot of sass, Sweet Thing. Anyone ever tell you that?" I said as I replaced my battered fedora on my head.  
  
"I believe I've heard similar comments," she drawled, slipping her hand into mine as we headed back toward the warehouse. "I was never sure if they were true."  
  
"Oh they are, believe me," I assured her, a cocky grin on my face.  
  
"That's good to know," she replied with a smile. "Now then, how far are we from my father?" she asked, glancing up and down the abandoned street.  
  
"The warehouse is just a few blocks away," I told her, pointing to our right. "The streetlights should be coming on right about. now," I added as the lights flickered on. "It shouldn't take us any time to get there."  
  
"Good. He needs to know about Mr. Grissom," she said, the fire glinting in her dark eyes alerting me to her intentions.  
  
I was shaking my head before she was even done talking. This was one show she wasn't taking away from me. "You bet he does, but you're not going to be the one to tell him. No Syd," I said, holding my hand up to stop her protest, "Teddy's my friend, this is my mess to clean up."  
  
"It's not your fault he used us," she argued as we approached the building.  
  
"Even so, I want to tell him myself," I insisted, barring her entry to the building. "Agreed?" She nodded her head unenthusiastically in response. "Good," I said, pulling the door open and gesturing for her to enter before me. 


	8. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[b]From Chapter 7:[/b][i]  
  
I was shaking my head before she was even done talking. This was one show she wasn't taking away from me. "You bet he does, but you're not going to be the one to tell him. No Syd," I said, holding my hand up to stop her protest, "Teddy's my friend, this is my mess to clean up."  
  
"It's not your fault he used us," she argued as we approached the building.  
  
"Even so, I want to tell him myself," I insisted, barring her entry to the building. "Agreed?" She nodded her head unenthusiastically in response. "Good," I said, pulling the door open and gesturing for her to enter before me. [/i]  
  
[b]Chapter 8: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly[/b]  
  
The first thing I saw when I stepped inside was Eric guarding our good friend Sloane and his pals. "It's about time you got back," he complained good-naturedly.  
  
"Yeah well we were a little busy," I replied casually, glancing over at Sydney in time to see her blush.  
  
"I guess you were!!" Eric chortled. "So why are you guys so wet? Did you take a romantic moonlit swim?" he ribbed.  
  
"Can it wise guy," I told him, darting my eyes back and forth across the room to avoid my partner's knowing gaze. Spying something interesting, I grabbed onto it like a lifeline. "Hey, what's Bristow doing over there with Billy and Harry?" I asked, pointing to the opposite corner of the warehouse.  
  
"Huh?" he replied articulately, following my line of sight. "Oh. I'm not sure, but I think he's yelling at them for something," he offered uninterestedly.  
  
"I think that might be my cue," I murmured to Sydney and began walking toward the three feds.  
  
"So you knew from the start where Sloane's hideout was?" Jack was asking as I stepped within earshot.  
  
"Yes sir." Harry said.  
  
"Then why exactly was it necessary for me to live on the streets this week, trailing Sloane's men so I could find this rat hole?" he interrogated.  
  
"We figured it was the best way to catch the mole," Billy answered unflinchingly. I had to admire his guts, he didn't even blink when he told Jack Bristow he'd been hung out to dry.  
  
Jack clenched his fists, trying to hold onto some of his rapidly disappearing calm. "I see," he said slowly, annunciating every syllable. "So you used me as bait?"  
  
The self assured expressions Billy and Harry had been wearing vanished, leaving pale, nervous faces in their wake. "Uh. yes, yes sir," Harry stammered.  
  
I watched in awe as Jack circled his prey like a shark who smelled blood in the water. "You boys would've stood a better chance if you'd stuck with the brazen confidence," I muttered, shaking my head at the obvious anxiety rolling off the two men.  
  
Once they were literally shaking in their boots, Jack went in for the kill. "And what about Sydney?" he asked. "Whey didn't you step in once she was involved. or was she bait too?"  
  
"She was bait all right," I said, stepping out of the shadows. "She was bait, and I was the fish they wanted on the line."  
  
"What are you saying Mister Vaughn?" he growled.  
  
"I'm saying they used Sydney to get me on the case. See, they couldn't do an internal investigation to find the mole, could you boys?" I asked mockingly. "After all, the person they put on the case might actually be the mole himself. No, they couldn't have that so they needed a sucker, someone on the outside to do the dirty work for them."  
  
"So they told Sydney what was up, knowing she would ask for your help," Jack said with dawning comprehension.  
  
I started to reply, but someone behind me beat me to it. "Exactly. I'm sure you understand Jack. It was the easiest way to take care of the mole."  
  
A wave of cold fury swept through my veins when I heard the gravelly voice. Slowly, I turned to face him, holding myself ramrod straight. "Hello Teddy," I said, striving for a neutral tone of voice.  
  
Jack however wasn't as restrained. "What in seven hells is going on here Ted?" he demanded. "How could you even think of using my daughter that way? And what would have happened if the mole hadn't shown up, where would you be then?"  
  
"Ah but he did, didn't he?" Teddy cut in smoothly. "Who was it by the way?"  
  
"Davis," Jack spat out.  
  
"Really? Your own partner Jack? I would have though you of all people would be impossible to fool. Ah well," he continued on, ignorant to how close his neck was to being strangled between Jack Bristow's hands, "at least we have him now. Where is he Vaughn?"  
  
I smiled ferally, taking a perverse pleasure in the news I had to give. "He's dead Teddy. Shot through the heart. If you want the body, I'm sure it's still lying on the 18th Street pier."  
  
I held in my amusement as I watched him lose control for the first time. "What? I was supposed to question him, find out how much intel he'd leaked. What if there was a second mole? Now we'll never know. Vaughn, do you realize what you've done?" he challenged.  
  
My smile vanished at that. Going nose to nose with him, I replied in a low, furious voice. "I know exactly what I did," I hissed. "I protected an innocent civilian from an international criminal. I did your job," I told him, stabbing him viciously in the chest with my finger before taking a step back.  
  
"Yes well, the Bureau is grateful for your help of course," he said, attempting to smooth things over. "I hope we can count on you if something like this comes up again?"  
  
I shook my head in disbelief. Where had my friend gone and who was this slimy bureaucrat who'd been left in his place? "I don't ever want to hear from you again," I announced coldly. "And just so we're clear, if I ever hear that you've involved Sydney in another one of your crazy schemes, I will personally hang you from the rafters by your toenails."  
  
"Of course, if that's the way you want it," he responded stiffly. "Come on boys," he said, turning to Billy and Harry. "Let's take the riff raff we came for and get out of here." Without sparing Jack and I a second glance, he spun on his heel and swept out of the room. 


	9. The End

[b]From Chapter 8:[/b][i]  
  
I shook my head in disbelief. Where had my friend gone and who was this slimy bureaucrat who'd been left in his place? "I don't ever want to hear from you again," I announced coldly. "And just so we're clear, if I ever hear that you've involved Sydney in another one of your crazy schemes, I will personally hang you from the rafters by your toenails."  
  
"Of course, if that's the way you want it," he responded stiffly. "Come on boys," he said, turning to Billy and Harry. "Let's take the riff raff we came for and get out of here." Without sparing Jack and I a second glance, he spun on his heel and swept out of the room. [/i][b]  
  
Chapter 9:[/b]  
  
A week later, I was sitting in my office, nursing my scotch and thinking about the case. After Teddy and dragged Sloane back to jail, Eric had announced that he was taking the week off. "I need it," he'd said. "My whole weekend is shot and it's only Saturday evening. I'll be back next Monday, make sure you don't get mixed up with any dames between now and then."  
  
I'd nodded my head and smiled in reply, but the smile was empty. The only dame I wanted to get mixed up with was standing less than twenty feet away, wrapped in the protective embrace of her father. Her FBI agent father, a man who I'm certain could dismantle my body piece by piece if the situation ever arose. Suddenly, I wasn't sure things would work out after all.  
  
So here I was, alone on a Friday evening without my partner and without my girl and now completely out of scotch. "Life just isn't fair," I muttered morosely, setting my glass down and swinging my feet up on the desk. "Wake me up when it's over," I added, closing my eyes and attempting to sleep.  
  
I was still sitting there with my peepers shut when I heard the office door swing open. "Go away, we're closed," I ordered.  
  
"This is not a business call Mister Vaughn."  
  
My eyes flew open and the chair skidded across the floor as I leapt to my feet. "Jack! What can I do for you?" I questioned evenly.  
  
My calm evaporated and my palms started sweating when he just stared at me for a couple of minutes, not saying a word. Finally he said, "I'm looking for information Mister Vaughn, information only you can provide."  
  
"I'm sure the FBI has better sources than I do," I protested.  
  
"I told you, this isn't business, it's personal. I need to know what your feelings are for Sydney."  
  
I stared at him, completely stunned. "Are you serious sir?" I asked incredulously.  
  
He pierced me with a look and I had to resist wiping my clammy hands off on my slacks. "You'd be surprised how serious I am," he replied coolly. "So I ask again, how do you feel about my daughter?"  
  
"It's hard to explain Jack," I said, shrugging helplessly. "When I met Sydney, it was like." I thought for a moment, trying to find an analogy he'd appreciate. "It was like my heart was a mob informant and she was the East River. In other words, I fell and fell hard."  
  
His features relaxed slightly at those words, but I could tell he still had one more question on his mind. "Then your intentions are honorable?" he asked bluntly.  
  
"Absolutely," I assured him.  
  
"Good," he said, nodding decisively. He turned to leave but when he reached the door he fired one last parting shot. "Oh and Mister Vaughn? Remember that mob informant?" I gulped, realizing what he was about to say. "If I ever hear that you've hurt my little girl, you won't just feel like him, you'll be in a watery grave of your own." With those cheery words, he stepped into the twilight, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Well what do you know?" I said to myself. "Jack Bristow just told me I could see his daughter. Eric is never going to believe this."  
  
I was still shaking my head in bemusement five minutes later when the door opened again, letting Sydney in. When I saw her, my heart leapt into my throat, only to be sent plummeting to my toes by her first words. "Hello Vaughn, I thought I ought to pay you."  
  
How ironic-her father had come for personal reasons but she was only here for business. Well I guess I knew where I stood with her. "No need," I told her gruffly. "This one's on the house." Eric would kill me for this, but my heart was breaking so I didn't really care.  
  
"I guess I'll be leaving then," she said. I watched her walk away, hardening my heart against the pain I felt. Then just before she reached the door, she turned slightly and said, "Aren't you coming?"  
  
"Why would I Dollface?" I asked blandly. "You go your way, I'll go mine, right?"  
  
"Right," she replied uncertainly. "But I thought." Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell to the floor. "Never mind, obviously I was mistaken. Good bye Mister Vaughn," she said briskly, reaching for the door.  
  
I was across the room in a flash, pulling her hard against me for a kiss that was as demanding as it was passionate. When I finally tore my lips from hers, I said, "Now you listen to me, this is the way we're going to play this. You can't just come and go; this is forever. You got that?"  
  
"I got it," she replied, her smile threatening to split her face in two. "But whatever happened to "You go your way, I'll go mine?" she teased.  
  
"Slight change to the plan. You go your way, I'll go mine, and we'll both go together. The only way you're walking out that door is if I'm beside you," I told her, staring into her eyes as I did so.  
  
"Then I suggest you get your coat and hat so we can get out of here," she said.  
  
I let go of her long enough to stick my arms into my coat and pull my hat over my eyes, taking her hand in mine. Opening the door for her I said, "Let's blow this joint, Sweet Thing." 


End file.
